Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome Caused by Fioricet (Butalbital-Acetaminophen-Caffeine)

A common side effect of Fioricet (butalbital-acetaminophen-caffeine) is high blood pressure caused by the caffeine content. We report a case of a 54-year-old female who developed the worst headache of her life after taking 2 tablets of butalbital-acetaminophen-caffeine every six hours for three days...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Case reports in medicine 2019, Vol.2019 (2019), p.1-6
Main Authors: Halalau, Alexandra, Rezvani, Shahab, Halalau, Madalina, Cret, Naomi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetaminophen
Analgesics
Blood pressure
Butalbital
Caffeine
Case Report
Case reports
Coffee
Consciousness
Convulsions & seizures
Edema
Encephalopathy
Fenofibrate
Hallucinations
Headache
Headaches
Hypertension
Magnetic resonance imaging
Neuroimaging
Neurology
Neurosurgery
Occipital lobe
Pain
Parietal lobe
Patients
Substantia alba
Tablets
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Summary:A common side effect of Fioricet (butalbital-acetaminophen-caffeine) is high blood pressure caused by the caffeine content. We report a case of a 54-year-old female who developed the worst headache of her life after taking 2 tablets of butalbital-acetaminophen-caffeine every six hours for three days before presenting to the emergency department, where her blood pressure was 178/87 mmHg. A brain MRI showed edema in the subcortical white matter of the right occipital lobe, right parietal lobe, and left occipital lobe. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) was diagnosed. The patient returned within the week with severe headaches, visual hallucinations, and a blood pressure of 150/80 mmHg. Repeat brain MRI showed slight improvement of edema. Her brain imaging studies completely normalized at 10 months after diagnosis. Although the patient received appropriate treatment, she was unable to make full recovery. Due to her inability to work and the constant pain, the patient continues to struggle with depression.
ISSN:1687-9627
1687-9635
DOI:10.1155/2019/5410872